3 men accused of ransoming immigrants in AZ

NOGALES, Ariz. — Three men accused of being border bandits have been charged in federal court with holding illegal immigrants at gunpoint in Arizona and demanding ransoms from their families.

The Nogales International reports that Christian Perez-Caroil, Ruben Diaz-Vega and Alfredo Luna-Perez are accused of holding three immigrants at gunpoint in the remote desert near Amado in southern Arizona.

A criminal complaint filed March 29 in federal court in Tucson says the immigrants became separated from their smuggler when they came across a gun-wielding Luna-Perez.

They were taken to a camp where the Diaz-Vega and Perez-Caroil were, and the immigrants were ordered to call their families and ask for money for their safe release.

Each family paid between $1,000 and $1,500 before the immigrants were released.

Soon after they were apprehended by Border Patrol agents, who then tracked down the suspects and arrested them.